Kutter

Crawford

The bad news is Crawford won’t be able to throw for a bit. The good news is that an MRI came back clean, so there’s no structural damage. There should be an update on just how long Crawford will be shut down from throwing in the coming days.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters Crawford won’t be sent for an MRI and they’re optimistic he’ll be ready to return to minor league games next week. The 30-year-old is likely ticketed for a swingman role once he’s ready to return. He missed all of last year with knee and wrist issues.

Crawford is recovering from right wrist surgery, but he’s made solid progress over the past few weeks. if that bullpen session goes well, Crawford could begin a rehab assignment over the weekend with Triple-A Worcester. The question would be what kind of role Crawford would have with Boston, as the rotation is full and he hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2024.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters Crawford will head out on a minor league rehab assignment after his next throwing session and figures to be an option for Boston’s pitching staff as either a traditional starter or long reliever by early May. The 30-year-old hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since the 2024 season after missing all of last year due to knee and wrist issues.

Crawford is being built up as a starter in minor league games, but it seems like the bullpen might be his long-term home after he rejoins the Red Sox. Of course, that’s assuming decent health for the current group. A league-averageish starter in 2023 and ’24, he might transition well into a setup role this summer.

This will be the first time that Crawford has faced live hitters since September 2024. In the intervening months, Crawford has undergone knee and wrist surgery but is allegedly now fully healthy entering spring training. The 29-year-old pitched to a 3.00 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 112/31 K/BB ratio in 114 innings in the first half of 2024 before the knee injury and fatigue started to impact his performance. Crawford is battling for the fifth spot in the rotation, but he does have two minor league options remaining, while Patrick Sandoval has none.

Tolle served up a two-out homer to Royce Lewis in the opening frame before responding with a flawless second inning to close out a strong spring debut. The 23-year-old top pitching prospect averaged a crisp 96.5 mph on his fastball in this one. He’s technically in the mix for the final spot in Boston’s season-opening rotation, but that spot seems likely to go to a veteran arm like Johan Oviedo or Kutter Crawford. Tolle offers enough strikeout potential that he should remain on fantasy manager’s radar screens as an in-season pickup.

The 29-year-old right-hander entered spring training fully healthy after missing the entirety of the 2025 season with knee and wrist injuries. The Red Sox are still taking a cautious approach and bringing him along slowly though. Crawford is expected to function in a swingman role for the Red Sox to open the 2026 season.

Crawford added that he’s fully healthy entering spring training after missing last season with knee and wrist issues that ultimately required a mid-summer procedure on his wrist. The 29-year-old figures to transition to a versatile swingman role, likely operating in long relief for the Red Sox next season, but he could be in the mix for one of their final rotation spots along with veterans Johan Oviedo and Patrick Sandoval in addition to top prospects Connelly Early and Payton Tolle.

This is the same salary that Crawford made in 2025 despite missing the entire season with knee and wrist injuries. The 29-year-old was valuable for the Red Sox in the first half of the 2024 season before fatigue and injuries led to a performance dip. He has experience as both a starting pitcher and a multi-inning reliever, so there’s a good chance he returns to being a key contributor for the Red Sox in 2026.